Candy & Fudge

December 20, 2012

Still looking for last minute Christmas gifts and ideas? Run down to your closest See's Candies store and buy a box of luxurious chocolate truffles, chocolate fudge, dipped chocolates, or crunchy butter toffee coated in chopped almonds.

See's Candies has over 200 chocolate shops, and loads of smaller kiosks and carts in malls and shopping centers during the holidays. Chances are you'll find a See's Candies location in your neck of the woods!

A holiday tradition for more than 90 years, See's Candies is now available at a gift center in the Providence Place Mall, Rhode Island. That's where we found them, right outside the Nordstrom wing on the first level. They have free samples and tempt you to try them while you're shopping! We couldn't resist and tried a gigantic Butterscotch Lollypop which lasted over an hour.

To produce the best possible boxed chocolates, they insist on using only the best ingredients and claim they never add preservatives.

Since 1921, See’s Candies has been one of America’s favorite candy makers. A tradition in the West, See’s has consistently maintained the timeless virtues of quality, caring and friendly service. Made in America, using no added preservatives and only the freshest, highest quality ingredients available, each piece of delicious See’s candy is sure to delight this holiday season.

This year, See’s Candies opened a convenient location in the Providence area, where candy-lovers can purchase an assortment of delicious selections for the holiday season, made with the finest ingredients, yet available at affordable prices.

Nuts & Chews – A variety of sensational milk and dark chocolates filled with See’s special caramel and nougat as well as top-quality almonds, peanuts and walnuts. ($18.20 for 1 lb; $36.40 for 2 lbs)

Truffles – The most divine chocolate See’s has to offer, each Truffle features a richly flavored center with a delicate chocolate coating. Flavors include Dark Chocolate Chip, Café au Lait, Hazelnut, Malt, Key Lime, Raspberry and Lemon, offered in a beautiful gold box. ($10.35 for a half-pound; $20.70 for 1 lb)

Toffee-ettes – A bite-sized version of See’s famous Victoria Toffee, everyone loves this rich combination of crunchy butter toffee and California-grown almonds, covered in creamy milk chocolate then rolled in toasted almonds. ($18.20 for 1 lb.)

Old-Fashioned Fudge Assortment – Made only for the holidays in a festive sampler box, using Mary See’s original recipe, See’s uses premium English walnuts and pecans, pure butter, heavy cream and sugar to create the richest and creamiest fudge in three flavors – Vanilla Walnut, Chocolate Walnut and Bordeaux. ($18.80 for 1 lb)

Snowman Candy Bar Gift Pack – Comes with four 1.5 oz candy bars that can be split into multiple stocking stuffers or given as one gift. Includes two Milk Chocolate, one Milk Chocolate with Toffee Nuggets and one Dark Chocolate with Almonds. ($6.80 for 4 – 1.5 oz bars)

WHEN: Now until December 26, 2012

WHERE: See's Candies

Providence Place Mall

1 Providence Place

Providence, RI 02903

Located Bottom level, Nordstrom wing

Phone (424) 214-8559

SHOP HOURS:

Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sun. noon - 5 p.m.

See's Candies has extended hours during the holiday season. Please call for specifics.

April 21, 2011

PEEPS. Like milk chocolate Easter bunnies, we all bit their heads off and saved the tails for last. Yellow PEEPS Marshmallow chicks have been around for decades. We grew up with them. We ate too many of them, and most likely had tummy aches after eating all that sugar. But hey, that's what goes into an Easter basket, right? And when we got older, we experimented with how to blow up PEEPS in the microwave... or was I the only sick kid here that thought of things like this?

There's more to life than yellow PEEPS. Have you been shopping lately? PEEPS now come in a whole array of fun colors like pink, purple, blue, and orange. They also come in Easter bunny shapes too! That's what caught my eye this year, and after getting a copy of the new Celebrate magazine by Phyllis Hoffman, I thought I'd be a kid again and make my own PEEPS Easter bunny wreath this year.

Seriously though... I'm living on a sailboat. What am I gonna do with an Easter bunny wreath? I quickly thought of one of my granddaugters that absolutley LOVES crafts and sent the magazine to her hoping she would make the wreath and send me the pictures. She and her Mom did better than that. They made an adorable PEEPS Wreath and posted the How-To Make a PEEPS Easter Bunny Wreath tutorial on Erika's Stampin Mama, Living the Creative Life blog so you can see just how they did it.

Now you can make your own PEEPS Easter bunny wreath! Just make sure to buy one extra package of PEEPS so you can have the joy of biting their heads off. Oh, and be a kid again. Save the tails for last! ENJOY!

My Own Candy Business?I used to have a candy business a long, long time ago. Back when I was in my 20's, I made chocolate lollipops and hand-dipped chocolates. Buttercrunch, homemade Peanut Butter Cups and real Peppermint Patties were my specialty. Oh, man! I need to make some of those this year!

I had three little kids at home at the time, and I needed to do something to make a little extra money. I started out slow, then John got involved and became my salesman, and things quickly exploded! I had Buttercrunch, Patties, PB Cups and Fudge all over the house. I'm not kidding! I had stuff in every room of the house except for the bathroom! I bough the chocolate and nuts by the 25 pound case, cartons by the case, cellophane bags and lollipop sticks from a distributor, and had labels made up with my name on them.

I could not keep up with the demand. I had friends take finished candy home with them and paid them to wrap the candy and send it back to me. Finished boxes and cases were piled up waiting to be delivered by John, who then sold MORE! This went on for a few years. I finally got pregnant a 4th time just to get out of it all! Nah, just kidding! I didn't do it on purpose! John did it!

PENUCHE FUDGE RECIPEOne of the most popular things I made was Penuche Fudge with Toasted Pecans. I made it by the 10 pound block, and had 4 pots going at the same time. It was cut and put in very pretty colored boxes and shipped out to happy people!

So, getting back to the beginning of this post...You don't have to buy all that store-bought candy. I know it's so easy to buy. BUT, you can make this fudge for a fraction of the cost, and even though it's sweet, you know what's going into it!

Penuche Fudge is a brown sugar fudge and has to be cooked to the soft-ball stage of 237 degrees on a candy thermometer. It seems a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.

SUITE101I published the recipe at Suite101 the other day. All you have to do is click on over to Penuche Fudge Recipe and there it is! Scroll down to the bottom of that page and click print for you to keep. And then click email to share it with a friend! OH, heck, while you're at it, just click the recommend article button too! It'll look good for me and you'll love the fudge! I know you will!

MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS COOKIES & RECIPESI also published a long list of the Most Popular Christmas Cookies that I've done over the years. The 18 links all go to my recipes on Suite101. Again, email them or print them off for yourself! I'll be doing a major post later on with photos and links of all the cookies, but I figured I'd get you off and baking right now!

April 15, 2008

Tuesdays With Dorie(click to enlarge)Here it is. Tuesday already! I swear Tuesday comes every 5 days now! Seriously, I just did this less than a week ago...or so it seems! This recipe ~ Homemade Marshmallows ~ was chosen by Judy, of Judy's Gross Eats. Yeah, I'll have to ask her what that means someday. Thanks also to Chelle for writing out this very long recipe! Homemade Marshmallows is just one of many fabulous recipes in Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Click on the rest of my posts under TWD to see the other delicious desserts I've made from this book.Don't forget theCookbook Give-Awaythat I'll be announcing during the week! Like I said below, it's gonna be a good one!

I never made Homemade Marshmallows before, so this was a new experience for me. Let me tell you something, my boat was a frickin' mess when I got done with these sugar babies! First off, we're back to living on the boat again. The honeymoon with Timeshares, square beds, hot water and cable TV is over honey! No more Kitchen Aid and back to my Easy Bake Oven! Don't get me wrong, it's not all that bad. I love my little boat and marina life. It's just that I got real accustomed to having the Big Boy Bakery equipment at my beck-and-call whenever I felt like playing "Bake Shop" while John was recupperating from surgery. 10 weeks of play time was enough to spoil me REAL BAD!

What A Mess!I'm back to a hand-held Hamilton Beech mixer and plastic Tupperware bowls. But I have a tricked out chef's galley that is to die for. However, the mess was unbelievable. Powdered sugar and corn starch all over the counter, the baby fridge, my little 2 burner stove, bed, camera, cookbook and laptop. There were pot & pans, thermometer, bowls, spatulas, measuring cups and spoons, wrappers, sugar boxes and bags, cling wrap and baking pans everywhere. Well, you get the picture! And in case you don't, I took a photo of the mess in my sink. And that's not all of it. That sink is deep!

Night Of The Living Dead Galley!
At one point, I was standing under the open hatch with a pink bowl full of meringue with the
little-mixer-that-could on full-speed-ahead. There was a small pan of sugar, water and corn syrup bubbling away on the stove with a candy thermometer stuck in it next to another pan with Knox gelatin soaking in water (cause we don't have a microwave). I had the camera ready to snap a photo, trying to
balance the bowl and mixer, slowly pouring the magic 265° syrup into the meringue and look at the cookbook all at the same time. I turned, just for a second and forgot that I still had the mixer on at full
blast. For that one moment in time, my mouth fell open as a slow motion expletive spilled out as I plastered sticky mallow goo all over the boat, hatchboards and my face. The scene was straight from"Night Of The Living Dead"!

I didn't even think about cleaning up the mess then as the mallow stuff was starting to set up. I had to work fast and get the flavorings in and spread it into the waiting pan. I was a little worried that I would have a problem with these wicked marshmallows. My "peeps" at Tuesdays With Doriehad been comparing notes all week about marshmallow failure and slimy messes that never set up. But, I must have done something right, because those buggers set up so nice and fast and slid right out of the pan. No problems at all! And this was my first time too!

Five *****I rate this recipe 5 chocolate chips! It was a great "learning" experience. They tasted absolutely divine. The outside of the marshmallows were lightly dusted with powdered sugar/cornstarch coating and the texture inside was so soft and squishy, it was like gumming feather pillows! I'm definitely making these again. This recipe is a keeper!

I did do a few things differently and I'll highlight My Notes in the recipe so you can follow along.

Homemade Marshmallows by Dorie GreenspanIncluding marshmallows as a spoon dessert may seem like cheating -- after all, they're eaten with fingers (or, by campers, from sticks picked up in the forest) -- but making them at home is too much fun to miss. And in fact this dessert is related to others in this chapter: the base is meringue -- sweetened and strengthened by a cooked sugar syrup and fortified by gelatin.

There's nothing difficult about making the marshmallows, but the meringue does need a long beating. While you can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer makes the job easier.(Yeah, tell me about it!)

Dorie is giving you the recipe for a basic vanilla marshmallow. See Playing Around (below) for raspberry, chocolate, cappuccino and pumpkin marshmallows.

Marshmallows: The Recipe

About 1 cup potato starch (found in the kosher foods section of supermarkets) or cornstarch My Notes: I used a mixture of 1/2 cup powdered sugar & 1/2 cup cornstarch.

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar (I could never figured out where that extra Tbsp of sugar went)

Directions:

Line a rimmed baking sheet -- choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high -- with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with potato starch or cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand. My Notes: I lined a baking pan with cling wrap and sprayed it generously with vegetable shortening spray. Then I dusted it real heavy with 1/2 the powdered sugar/cornstarch mix)

Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup -- without stirring -- until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.) Yeah, right!

Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, (Um, yeah) beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy -- don't overbeat them and have them go dull.

As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.My Notes: I divided the mallow goo in half and added 1/2 tsp coconut extract and 1/2 cup toasted coconut to the white batch. Then I added 1/2 tsp cherry extract and a few drops of red cake coloring to the other portion and finished mixing.

Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won't fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper (or cling wrap) up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (Dorie uses use custard cups).

Dust the top of the marshmallows with potato starch or sugar/cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They'll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more.

Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand (I had to use another 1/2 cup) and cut the marshmallows as you'd like -- into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they're cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl.

When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch. My notes: I dusted some of the white coconut marshmallows with cocoa for a "chocolate" looking mallow.

Don't know if you noticed, but I stabbed some with skewers and dipped them in Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Marshmallow Wine For Two!(it was a very good year)

SERVING: Put the marshmallows out and let everyone nibble as they wish. Sometimes Dorie fills a tall glass vase with the marshmallows and put it in the center of the table -- it never fails to make friends smile. You can also top hot chocolate or cold sundaes with the marshmallows.

STORING: Keep the marshmallows in a cool, dry place; don't cover them closely. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 week -- they might develop a little crust on the outside or they might get a little firmer on the inside, but they'll still be very good.Playing Around: Dorie's NotesRASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS: Fruit purees are excellent for flavoring these candies. For raspberry marshmallows, you'll need a generous 1/3 cup of puree; reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon. After the batter is mixed, gently fold in the puree with a rubber spatula. You can use the same
measurements and technique for other purees, such as strawberry, mango and passion fruit.

CAPPUCCINO MARSHMALLOWS: Sift 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons instant espressopowder and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamontogether into a small bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup boilingwater and mix until smooth. Reduce the vanillaextract to 1/2 teaspoon, and add it to theespresso mix. After you add the sugar syrup andgelatin to the meringue, beat in the espresso mixture and continue.

LIGHT CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS: Melt 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon, and after the marshmallow batter is mixed, fold in the chocolate mixture with a large rubber spatula.

February 07, 2008

"Hello, my name is Donna Diegel, and I'm a chocoholic!" Anyone that knows me, knows I love chocolate and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm addicted to the stuff. I really should go to support group meetings, but then I'd be the one volunteering to bring chocolate refreshments afterwards. I'd also be dragging one of my daughters along with me. Actually, she's worse than I am. I wonder where she gets it from?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I knew it was coming up, but it didn't register that it was next week! I should have been a little quicker to pick up on this since the stores are full of red and pink candy, flowers and balloons. I've also been getting a lot of junk email from FTD and other candy sites. So, I really had to get my butt in gear and try to play catch up with my Valentine's articles for Suite101. I'm a little late getting started, but here I am!

There are a few on-line dessert companies worthy of my time and that I've really been impressed with lately. I thought I should share them with everyone here so I wouldn't be the only naughty chocoholic! It's not too late to order. Just do it!

Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington Vermont, is my absolute favorite chocolate. I should have bought stock in this company because I've kept them in business all these years! Their gourmet chocolate truffles are to die for. The outside of the truffle is a thin milk or dark chocolate shell that conceals insides made of ganache that are so silky smooth they melt in your mouth. With flavors like Cappuccino, Grande Valencia, French Roast, Vanilla Malt, Raspberry and Champagne, who could resist? Then they're meticulously hand-decorated and beautifully presented in unique and colorful seasonal boxes with matching hand-tied ribbons. I also adore their Almond Butter Crunch and Signature Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds. Heck, I'll eat them all! They even have a Chocolate Bar Sampler with 21 bars of gourmet chocolate. WOW! I'm in love!

Another company that I've had a love affair with lately is Amy's Apples from Providence, Rhode Island. I can't say enough good things about this company. I found them completely by accident one day when I went to a wine tasting at Newport Vineyards. They were set up as vendors giving away samples and they had to be the most popular booth there. I believe they sold out that day. Their apples are simply outrageous! They are so enormous that one apple will feed a party of five! You might think that $14.00 per apple is an insane price to pay for an apple, but once you see the size of this thing and taste the sinfully rich caramel and chocolate covered masterpiece, you'll fall in love too! We had a Cashew Lover's Delight and a Heath Bar Heaven. I could use every adjective there is to describe how awesome these apples are, but until you try them for yourself, you'll never know true happiness!